African Butterfly Fish
Pantodon buchholzi
Also known as: Butterfly fish, Freshwater butterflyfish
Quick Facts
- Adult size: 10-13 cm (4-5 inches)
- Minimum tank size: 110 litres (29 gallons)
- Lifespan: 5–8 years
- Temperament: semi-aggressive
- Swimming level: top
- Diet: carnivore
- Minimum group size: 1
- Difficulty: intermediate
Water Parameters
- Temperature: 23–30°C
- pH: 6–7.5
- Hardness (GH): 54–215 ppm (3–12 dGH)
Values above are general hardness (GH). For carbonate hardness (KH), the buffer that keeps pH stable, see the water parameters guide.
Care Summary
A living leaf and a true surface specialist, the African butterfly fish hangs motionless just beneath the surface, its outstretched, wing-like pectoral fins mimicking a floating leaf while it waits to ambush insects and small fish. Reaching around 10 to 13cm, it is an ancient, oddball predator from West and Central Africa that lives almost entirely at the top of the tank. Its care follows from that: it must have a tight lid and some airspace above the water, as it is a powerful jumper, and it needs a calm surface with floating plants and open space. It is a carnivore that wants meaty and live foods and will eat any fish small enough to swallow, while its long, trailing fins are a target for nippers below. Keep it with peaceful mid and bottom dwellers too large to eat and too gentle to nip, in soft, warm, slightly acidic water. A fascinating specialist, not a community all-rounder.
Tankmates
A surface predator that needs careful tankmate choice: nothing small enough to be eaten, and nothing that nips its long trailing fins. It ignores the lower levels of the tank, so peaceful, larger bottom and mid-dwellers such as corydoras, bristlenose, synodontis, kribensis, keyhole cichlids, and larger tetras work well. Avoid small surface and nano fish, guppies, and dwarf shrimp, which are food, and avoid fin-nippers such as tiger and serpae tetras. A tight lid is essential, as it is a strong jumper, and it wants a calm surface with floating cover.
Compatible with
Avoid keeping with
- Guppy
- Neon Tetra
- Ember Tetra
- Cherry Shrimp
- Tiger Barb
- Fin Nippers
Common Problems
- jumping from tanks without a tight lid or airspace
- eating small fish and shrimp
- trailing fins nipped by barbs and other fin-nippers
- refusing to feed without meaty or live surface foods
Sources: seriouslyfish.com, fishbase.org · Last updated: 2026-10-13